The UMNO's party elections, initially scheduled next year, has been postponed for 18 months, said UMNO president Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
The decision is made to strengthen the Barisan Nasional ahead of the 14th general election, Najib said at a press conference after chairing the UMNO Supreme Council meeting today.
Najib said such postponement had been done during his predecessors' time.
“It is important for us to prioritise the people, their needs, policies, grassroots and strengthening the party so that UMNO will be stronger ahead of the next general election,” he said.
UMNO deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had before this suggested that UMNO should not postpone its party polls but to hold it according to the time set by the party’s constitution.
READ: Don't postpone UMNO 2016 election, says Muhyiddin
Muhyiddin also suggested for the UMNO constitution to be amended next year to enable younger generation to contribute and play a bigger role in the party.
“I believe UMNO will not split if the election is held. UMNO leaders are matured enough to handle it,” said Muhyiddin had said during his speech at the official opening of the UMNO party wings at the Putra World Trade Centre last year.
UMNO held its party election in October, 2013 after it was postponed to pave way for the 13th General Election. The election was initially scheduled to be held in 2012.
The current UMNO leadership mandate will end in 2016 while the current parliament mandate will end in 2018.
Meanwhile, when asked why the 18-months postponement is announced so early, Najib said it was to allow party members to work on their KPIs.
‘If we don’t decide now, many will speculate,” he added.
On speculations of a Cabinet reshuffle after the Aidilfitri celebration, Najib said all quarters should be patient.
Wan Syamsul Amly, Rahimah Abdullah
Fri Jun 26 2015
UMNO 2016 party polls postponed for 18 months, focus now to strengthen BN - Datuk Seri Najib Razak
Motorcycling - Marquez wins Australian MotoGP after intense battle with Martin
The 31-year-old, third in the championship standings, has now won the Australian MotoGP four times in the premier class.
Prabowo takes up Indonesian presidency, vows to tackle corruption, other issues
Indonesia's Prabowo Subianto on Sunday took over as president of the world's third-largest democracy, vowing to combat internal issues
Nepal's Sherpas deserve more, says teenager who scaled world's 14 tallest peaks
Sherpas are known for climbing skills that make them the backbone of mountain expeditions.
Inside the underground lab in China tasked with solving a physics mystery
China will soon collect neutrino data, aiming to unravel one of particle physics' biggest mysteries.
Millions in Cuba still without power as major outage persists
Millions of Cubans remain without electricity because of a prolonged outage at the main power plants on the island, Anadolu Agency reported.
Surge in Gaza violence increases famine risk, monitor says
About 1.84 million people across the besieged Palestinian enclave are living through high levels of acute food insecurity.
Israel pounds Beirut and Gaza after rockets hit Israel's north
A drone was launched at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's holiday home.
Elon Musk promises to award $1 mil each day to a signer of his petition
He awarded a $1 million check to an attendee of his event in Pennsylvania aimed at rallying supporters behind Donald Trump.
Former special forces commander Prabowo to take up Indonesian presidency
Indonesia's Prabowo Subianto will take over as president of the world's third-largest democracy after sweeping the country's election with policies like free meals for school children
Father of Malaysian Islamic banking, Abdul Halim Ismail passes away
His dedication and pioneering spirit played an important role in shaping the journey of Bank Islam as well as leaving a lasting impact on the development of Malaysia's Islamic finance industry.
Zayn Malik postpones US tour dates after One Direction bandmate Liam Payne's death
Payne, 31, died on Wednesday after falling from a third-floor hotel room balcony in Buenos Aires, shocking fans of the boy band.
Why voters in a handful of swing states will decide the US presidential election
The contest will almost certainly be decided by just tens of thousands of voters a tiny fraction of the populace in a handful of states.
INSIGHT - Sudan's war risks 'lost generation' of children
A devastating crisis is unfolding in Sudan, where the most vulnerable members of society children are bearing the brunt of the violence.
Who is Prabowo Subianto, incoming president of Indonesia?
A wealthy ex-general with ties to Indonesia's popular outgoing president and its dictatorial past, looks set to be its next leader.
Trump says he would impose tariffs on China if China went into Taiwan
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said he would impose additional tariffs on China if China were to "go into Taiwan,"
Iran's supreme leader says Hamas leader's death will not halt 'Axis of Resistance'
The "Axis of Resistance", built up with years of Iranian support, includes Hamas, the Lebanese Hezbollah group, the Houthi movement in Yemen, and various Shi'ite groups in Iraq and Syria.
Putin says Russia willing to seek compromises between Iran and Israel
Russia is ready to help seek compromises between arch-foes Israel and Iran, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, saying these would be difficult but possible.
What proposals will Russia push at the BRICS summit?
The proposal is also to establish a BRICS reinsurance company to allow uninterrupted shipment of goods and key commodities between members.
Indonesia's free meals plan in the spotlight as Prabowo readies for office
Prabowo calls the programme one of the main drivers of economic growth, eventually set to add an estimated 2.5 million jobs.
Astro AWANI's revamped English news website, AWANI International, launches on Oct 21
Astro AWANI's revamped English platform delivers in-depth global news and expert analysis to keep you informed on key developments.